Who are the Laodiceans?

What lesson can we learn from the Laodiceans? Is there a modern-day Laodicean group?

Answer:

Laodicea was a city in Asia Minor in the first century. It was one of seven cities mentioned in the prophecy of Revelation 2 and 3; there was a congregation of the Church of God in each city. Jesus used unique characteristics about not only the congregations, but also about the cities in which they were located, to teach Christians important lessons.

Laodicea was well known in the ancient world for its wealth. "For example, in 62 B.C. Flaccus seized the annual contribution of the Jews of Laodicea for Jerusalem amounting to 20 pounds of gold" ( Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary , 1986, "Laodicea").

"The extent of its wealth is illustrated by the fact that Laodicea was rebuilt without the financial help of Rome after the disastrous earthquake of A.D. 60. Laodicea earned its wealth in the textile industry in the production of black wool and in the banking industry. Laodicea was also known for its medical school [school of ophthalmology] which concocted a spice nard for the treatment of the ears and an eyesalve. The major weakness of Laodicea was its lack of a water supply. This need was met by bringing water six miles north from Denizli through a system of stone pipes [water conveyed to Laodicea through these pipes was lukewarm by the time it reached the city]" ( Holman Bible Dictionary , 1994, "Laodicea").

The eye salve was called "collyrium," probably a reference to how it was applied—that is, in the form of plaster or a poultice.

Christ, always the quintessential teacher, integrated these well-known facts about Laodicea into His spiritual message about them. He warned against a lukewarm, self-sufficient and self-satisfied attitude:

"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent" (Revelation:3:15-19[15] I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.[16] So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.[17] Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:[18] I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.[19] As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.).

Then Jesus said the same thing about the spiritual lessons He drew from Laodicea that He said about each of the seven churches: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Revelation:3:22He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.).

It is entirely possible that Jesus also intended to embed a chronological prophecy of successive eras, each characterized by the predominant strengths and weaknesses of the seven churches and the cities in which they were located. In recent years, some Christians seem to focus more on that possibility than on what we can know with certainty—that we need to apply all of the messages to all of the churches to ourselves . Is there anything helpful or godly in one person or group pointing a finger of judgment, declaring another person or group to be "Laodiceans"? But, on the other hand, it is wise for each of us to be on guard against the Laodicean weaknesses in ourselves .

Mr. Herbert Armstrong taught that the letters to the Churches in Rev. 2 and 3 are prophetic and that during his life the Church was in the Philadelphian era. The Church regained doctrines and truths long forgotten over the centuries since Christ and gained a better understanding of prophecy from our vantage point in history (e.g., identity of Israel). We reached millions of people via radio, TV and the Plain Truth magazine which eclipsed the publication numbers of some of the leading national news magazines of that time.
Today our congregations are small and for all too many, our zeal for the work, by and large, is lukewarm. While we "keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ," many seldom read our own literature or watch the B.T. or B.T. blogs. All too often we say sermons are "nice but, I've heard it all before."
If Rev. 2 and 3 are not prophetic, we at least need to "…hear what the Spirit says to the churches." If they are prophetic, good news, another sign we are in the end times.

Therefore we shouldn't want for Passover and Atonement to do a self examination for self improvement.

It is an on-going process that we should not take for granted and just let it sit on the back burner until the next Holy Day.
It is daily repentance, fasting now and then, prayer and Bible study for self-improvement. And forgiving self and others so that our growth does not get hindered. Also practising love of God and love of neighbor by the examples our Savior Jesus Chris left us.

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